Gem Nation -- Glossary of Diamond, Jewelry and Watch Terms


Gem Nation -- Glossary of Diamond, Jewelry and Watch Terminology

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	Sapphire Sapphire is one of the hardest natural gemstones and is from the class of minerals called Corundum. It is second only to diamond in its hardness. When it is red, it is called ruby, but sapphires are available in all the colors of the rainbow. Blue is the most popular color for sapphires.

	Sapphire Crystal A watch crystal made of synthetic sapphire, which is a transparent, shatter-resistant, scratch-resistant substance.

	Scintillation As the diamond, observer or light source is moved, reflections and flashes of white light (scintillation) emanate from the diamond's surface.

	Shape Diamonds come in a wonderful array of shapes. Shapes include the round cut, princess cut, oval cut, pear cut, emerald cut, heart cut, marquise cut, cushion cut, radiant cut and trilliant cut - all available for sale on Gem Nation.

	Symmetry A grade given to the overall uniformity of a stone's cut. Symmetry grades range from poor (the lowest), to fair, good, very good and excellent/ideal. Poor symmetry will affect a diamond's sparkle and fire through loss of light. Diamonds with excellent symmetry and polish will command a higher price than diamonds with even very good symmetry and excellent polish (and vice-versa). These diamonds are extremely rare especially because of the extra diamond weight sacrified in maintaining such precise symmetry.